Hand operated multiple die punch

ABSTRACT

The bar which actuates the movable dies of a multiple hole punch is held in hinges at an angle so that when the punch handle is swung to operative position the bar slopes and engages the dies serially rather than simultaneously. Thus the effort required to swing the punch handle is reduced since only a portion of the holes are punched at any given instant.

United States Patent Buan 5] May 7, 1974 [54] HAND OPERATED MULTIPLE DIE PUNCH 1,655,315 1 1928 Finley 83/633 x Inventor: Danilo P. Buan Pleasamon, Calif. 3,227,023 1/1966 Bouvler 83/622 X [73] Assignee: Vela-Bind, Inc., Sunnyvale, Calif. primary E i j Meister 22 Filed: Apr. 1 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Julian Caplan [21] Appl. No.: 351,363

[57] ABSTRACT 52 us. c1 83/588, 83/618, 83/633 The bar which eetuetee the movable dies of a multiple 511 Int. Cl B26f 1/02 hole Phheh is held in hinges at an angle so that when [58] Field of Search; 83/588, 618, 622, 633, the Punch handle is swung Operative Position the 83/634, 628 bar slopes and engages the dies serially rather than simultaneously. Thus the effort required to swing the 5 References Cited punch handle is reduced since only a portion of the UNITED STATES PATENTS holes are punched at any given instant.

824,044 6/ 1906 Southworth 83/622 X 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures l H 4T 8 I I l 4/2 58 I59 4\,/ 5/ l 37l .37 I 1 n H M I- 36* HYl ll b 36 m4 [IN 7 HAND OPERATED MULTIPLE DIE PUNCH This invention relates to a new and improved manually operated multiple die punch. In its basic construction, the punch of the present invention resembles office type punches used for many years to punch two and three holes in a position adjacent the edges of paper. The present invention is intended, however, for punching small diameter holes adjacent the marginal edge of paper in larger numbers. Reference is made to U. S. Pat. No. 3,596,929 wherein a means for binding paper is disclosed with holes at one inch intervals. The present invention is intended for use in such a binding system, although it is adaptable to other purposes. One of the problems in punching a large number of holes is the effort required if all of the holes are sheared simultaneously. In accordance with the present invention, the holes are punched serially proceeding from one end so that the quantity of paper being sheared at any given time interval is less than the total amount sheared in the total operation of the punch.

The present invention relates to a novel means for insuring that the punch dies are actuated serially rather than simultaneously.

It is, accordingly, a principal purpose of the present invention to reduce the amount of work required to punch a plurality of holes in a stack of sheets of paper or other sheet material. This is accomplished by actuating the dies which quench the individual holes serially.

A further feature of the invention is the reduction in manufacturing costs in producing a punch of the character described. The die which engages the three ends of the punch die is held in a manually operated handle in such position that the bar, when it reaches operative position, is slanted upwardly. The hinge means which attaches the bar to the base of the punch is so constructed that although the bar is of uniform thickness throughout its length nevertheless it is in sloping position when the punch dies are to be actuated. In this respect the bar of the present invention differs from prior constructions wherein the bar has been fabricated so that it is of tapering thickness.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar characters of reference represent corresponding parts in each of the several views.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a rear elevational view of a punch in accordance with the present invention with the handle in up position.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the structure of FIG. 1 showing the handle in up position in solid lines and in down position in dot and dash lines.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 1 showing the punch handle in upper position.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1 showing the punch handle in down position.

The punch of the present invention comprises av pressing. Extending along the back of base 11 is a raised portion 14 which is at a higher elevation than the major area of base 11. A series of pins 16 are secured to base 11 immediately forward of raised back edge 14, and these pins provide a rear paper guide which limits backward movement of sheets which are positioned on the platen of base 11. Ashas heretofore been explained, in the present punch it is designed particularly for punching holes closer to the badk edge of sheets than is conventional and the pins 16 perform the locating function. As is well understood in the paper punching art, an adjustable side edge gauge 17 is used, the details of which are not illustrated or described since they are well understood in this art.

Resting and attached to back edge 14 and overhanging the platen portion of base 11 forward of pins 16 is a housing 21 formed of a generally channel shaped sheet metal section. Housing 21 has a vertical front 22 a horizontally rearwardly extending top 23 which slants downwardly rearwardly at its rear edge, a horizontal bottom 16 the rearward edge of which is fixed to raised edge 14 and an up-turned back 25. The housing 21 contains the punch guides which are spaced along its length at intervals such as l inch..Each die 26 reciprocates through a hole in the top 23 and has a reduced diameter portion 27 which reciprocates in a smaller hole in bottom 24. The upper end of die 26 projects above top 23 and preferably has a rounded upper end 44. As-

sociated with each die 26 is a coil spring 28 which surrounds the die and bears at its bottom against the upper surface of bottom 24 and at its upper end bears against a retainer ring 29 fixed to die 26. The function of spring 28 is to bias die 26 upward. Cooperative with each reduced diameter portion 27 is a hole 31 in base 11. The function of reduced diameter portion 27 and hole 31 is to shear paper or other sheet material which is positioned resting on the upper surface of base 11 and under bottom 24 and preferably positioned against pins 16. Below base 11 and contained within the revertly bent edges 13 thereof is a chip tray 32 which is of any suitable construction and is suitably held within the base 11 by means not shown, all as well understood in thepunch art.

At first intervals across the back of the base 11 are first hinge straps 36 which are fixed to back 25 and the sloping rearward end of top 23. The upper end of each hinge strap 36 is formed with an eye to receive pivot rods 37. A'plurality' of hinge straps 38 which are here shown as 2 in number one at each side of the punch, are also formed with eyes to receive the hinge rod 37.

A rectangular cross section punch actuating bar 39 extends transversely across the back of the machine and is secured to second hinge strap 38 by means of screws 41. Fixed to bar 39 is a U-shaped handle 42. By pivoting the handle 42 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 2 from solid line to dotted line position, causes the lower surface of bar 39 to contact the rounded upper ends 44 of each of the punch dies 26. Such contact depresses the dies 26 and causes the re duced diameter ends 27 to be forced through the sheets of paper positioned as has heretofore been described thereby shearing holes in the paper. The circular discs of paper which are thus punched drop through the holes 31 into the chip tray 32.

As has heretofore been explained, a principal feature of the present invention is the fact that the dies 26 are actuated in sequence rather than simultaneously. Careful attention to the structure of FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 shows that as viewed in FIG. 1, the bar 39 is at a lower elevation at its right-hand end than it is at the left-hand end of the figure. Nevertheless, the cross section of the bar 39 is uniform throughout rather than being tapered. The sliding function is performed by locating the tapped holes into which the screws 41 fit farther from the bottom edge of the bar 39 at the right-hand end as viewed in FIG. 1 than at the left-hand end. Note the location of the strap 38 in FIG. 4 as compared with FIG. 3. Thus, as handle 42 is depressed, the dies 26 at the right-hand end, as viewed from the rear in FIG. 1, are depressed first punching the holes on that end of the sheets held by the punch and gradually the dies proceeding to the left in FIG. 1 are depressed. Hence the amount of shearing action which is occurring at any given interval is less than if all of the dies were actuated simultaneously.

Various other features may be incorporated in the punch. For example, stops 46 may be positioned in top 23 at intervals. Such stops may be split rivets which slip through the holes in the housing 21. When the handle is brought to full-down position (dot and dash lines of FIG. 2), the stops 46 limit the movement of the handle and also cushion the shock of its full downward movement. Extending transversely across the front face of the front 22 of housing 21 is a bezel 48 into which a name plate 49 may be recessed.

What is claimed is:

l. A multiple die, manual punch comprising a base for supporting sheets to be punched, a housing located transversely across the back of the punch having a bottom connected to and spaced slightly above a portion of said base and a top, a plurality of dies reciprocable within said housing between up and down positions, the tops of said dies protruding through first apertures in said top above said housing, the bottom of said dies in down position extending into second apertures in said base, said bottoms of said dies and said second apertures cooperating to shear sheets positioned on said base, a transversely extending actuating bar,.first and second hinge means fixed on opposite ends of said bar and each having a hinge axes, said hinge means mounting said bar on said punch for oscillatory movement about the hinge axes of said hinge means, a handle for moving said bar, said bar being substantially uniform in cross-section throughout its length, said hinge means being located so that their hinge axes are located at different distances from the plane of the bottom surface of said bar, said bar being located by said hinge means so that said handle may be swung from inoperative to operative position; and as said handle approaches operative position, said bottom surface of said bar contacts and depresses the top of an endmost die and then serially contacts and depresses the tops of the other said dies, whereby holes are punched in said sheets sequentially rather than simultaneously.

2. A punch according to claim 1 in which said first and second hinge means each comprise first straps fixed relative to said housing and formed with first eyes, second straps secured to said bar formed with second eyes, and a pivot rod passing through said first and second eyes.

3. A punch according to claim 1 which further comprises a plurality of pins fixed to said base and projecting above said base rearward of said dies to locate the rear edges of sheets resting on said base relative to said dies.

4. A punch according to claim 1 which further comprises a coil spring surrounding each said die and resting on the top surface of the bottom of said housing and a retainer ring fixed to each said die against which the upper end of said spring bears, whereby said springs bias said bar toward inoperative position when said bar engages said dies. 

1. A multiple die, manual punch comprising a base for supporting sheets to be punched, a housing located transversely across the back of the punch having a bottom connected to and spaced slightly above a portion of said base and a top, a plurality of dies reciprocable within said housing between up and down positions, the tops of said dies protruding through first apertures in said top above said housing, the bottom of said dies in down position extending into second apertures in said base, said bottoms of said dies and said second apertures cooperating to shear sheets positioned on said base, a transversely extending actuating bar, first and second hinge means fixed on opposite ends of said bar and each having a hinge axes, said hinge means mounting said bar on said punch for oscillatory movement about the hinge axes of said hinge means, a handle for moving said bar, said bar being substantially uniform in cross-section throughout its length, said hinge means being located so that their hinge axes are located at different distances from the plane of the bottom surface of said bar, said bar being located by said hinge means so that said handle may be swung from inoperative to operative position; and as said handle approaches operative position, said bottom surface of said bar contacts and depresses the top of an endmost die and then serially contacts and depresses the tops of the other said dies, whereby holes are punched in said sheets sequentially rather than simultaneously.
 2. A punch according to claim 1 in which said first and second hinge means each comprise first straps fixed relative to said housing and formed with first eyes, second straps secured to said bar formed with second eyes, and a pivot rod passing through said first and second eyes.
 3. A punch according to claim 1 which further comprises a plurality of pins fixed to said base and projecting above said base rearward of said dies to locate the rear edges of sheets resting on said base relative to said dies.
 4. A punch according to claim 1 which further comprises a coil spring surrounding each said die and resting on the top surface of the bottom of said housing and a retainer ring fixed to each said die against which the upper end of said spring bears, whereby said springs bias said bar toward inoperative position when said bar engages said dies. 